Street-car fender



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. H. SMITH.

I STREBTGAR FENDER.

No. 604,944. Patented May 31,1898

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 GQ'H. SMITH. STREET GAR FENDER.

No. 604,944. Patented Mqy 31,}898 310 fig. 6. 7 6' 9 7M1 Ezynifi W617MEI! 7 L 5 wrmssszs fi' a luvzu'ron BY Fix W catch an object.

f Ulvirn nr STATES PATENT rrrcn.

chosen H; SMITH, or LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS.

STREET-CAR FENDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 604,944, dated May 31,1898.

Application f led January 12, 1898. $erial No. 666,400. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. SMITH, of Lowell, county of Middlesex,State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Street-CarFenders, of which the following description, in connection with theaccompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawingsrepresenting like parts.

My invention is an improvement in car-fenders, and has for its primaryobject the provision of automatic means for maintaining the fenderprojected in operative position, while permitting it to move rearwardlyto prevent its destruction, also automatic means for lock in g thefender in inoperative position and simplified supporting and releasingdevices for permitting the fender to drop in order to catch any desiredobject. a v 1 lhe details of my invention will be more fully describedhereinafter, and the invention will be more particularly defined in theappended claims.

In-the drawings illustrative of the preferred embodiment of myinvention, Figure l is a perspective View of a, usual street-carprovided with my improved fender. Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentaryviewthereof in side elevation, showing the fender. projected and held inraised position, Fig. 3 is a similar vieW showing the fender dropped inposition to Figmi is a cross-sectional view ,on the line 4 4, Fig. 2.Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detailin elevation, showing the releasingmechanism therefor. Fig. 6 is a trans verse section on the line 6 6,Fig. 2. Figs. 7 and 8 are enlarged details of the slideway and rear endof the fender, looking in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 9, andshowing, respec-j tively, the fender in raised and in fallen po-'sition. Fig. 9 is a top plan view of the fender, partsbeing shown insection and the street-car platform being broken away in or- .der toreveal the mechanism below it. Fig. 10 is a side elevation of a fenderin supported retractedposition.

My invention may be applied to any usual street-car A. It comprises aframework, herein shown as consisting of opposite longitudinal L-beams b5', connected at their forward .ends by a cross-bar b and intermediatetheir ends by a brace h a suitable supporting-bottom bf being providedfor the forward portion thereof and being herein shown as formed by aplurality of spring-slats crossing each other at right angles. At theforward edge thereof I providea suitable buffer, herein shown as in theform of a strand of coarse rope or cable b bound on the fender.

Adjacent the brace 19 I pivot at b an apron b containing spring-slatsor'other cushioning material b ,.said apron being normally held inraised position, as shown in Figs. 1 to 3 and 6, bycomparatively stiffsprings 2)", here-- in shown as coiled about the pintles 6 of thepivotal connection I). The L-beams b b are mounted to reciprocate, whenrequired, in opposite housings I) 12 of an inverted-L shape incross-section, as clearly shown in Fig. 4 the rear ends thereof beingprovided on their under sides with bottom ledges b, Figs. 7 and 8,projecting toward each other and being cut away opposite said ledges,guards b being provided in or- .der to properly guide the ends of thebeams b1) as the latter tip from the position shown in Fig. 7 to theposition shown in Fig. 8, this tipping occurring when the fender isdropped,

as shown in Fig. 3, as will be presently described.

Stops B are secured to the ends of the beams b b in order to limit theirforward movement, w The housings b b? are rigidly supported at theirrear ends by brackets 19 and at their forward ends by brackets or posts12. Each post Z7 is recessed between and below an upper hub portion'bintermediate ledge or bracket b and a lower hub portion Z9 to ie ceive ashaft Z9 rotatably jou-rnaled therein and provided at its upper end,with a lever Z9 and at its lower end with an arm b.

The arms hi have journaled transversely in their free ends rollers b andare provided .with shoulders 17*, adapted to engage opposing shouldersI) of the hubs Z1 to limitzthei-r outward movement, the shafts I9 andarms Z1 being normally held under a constant tendency to assume theposition shown in Fig. '3 by means of coiled springs 12?, surroundingthe shafts, as clearly shown in the drawings.

The levers b are connected by cords or cables 12 with the opposite endsof a hand lever b pivoted to 'a king-bolt or stud Z2 on the bottom ofthe car, said lever 11 havinga handle If at its forward end and beingprovided with a notch at one side to be engaged by a dog U, as clearlyshown in Figs. 5 and 9, said dog being pivoted at U to the bottom of theplatform to be engaged and tripped by a plunger If, whose head projectsin convenient position to be operated by the foot of the car-driver ormotorman.

The dog 5 is normally held in position to engage U of its lever by aspring or other means b I regard the features of my invention lastdescribed as of considerable importance, inasmuch as they conspire topermit instant and easily-operated dropping movement of the fender.Other mechanism has been proposed for accomplishing a somewhat similarmovement, (see United States Patent No. 563,062 to Pullan,) but itsoperation is liable to be uncertain and slow, whereas by connecting thecables 6 as shown in my i11- vention, with the opposite ends of thelever 0 and across said lever instead of being wrapped around a post ordrum, as in said patent, a very much less pressure 011 the plunger bythe foot of the motorman is necessary, and thereby the trip is renderedmuch more delicate and certain in operation, and also there is noliability whatever of the parts getting caught or stuck, so as to betemporarily inoperative. Furthermore, by my invention there is a minimumof pressure on the lever D and consequently a minimum resistance of thenotch Z) against the dog I), because the latter has to resist only theaction of the springs 72 and does not sustain the weight of the fender,as in the before-mentioned patent.

Accordingly I consider that I have made a considerable advance over thedevice of said patent by thus obviating these serious objections.Further advantages will also be presently pointed out.

Depending from the front of the car I mount a bolster Z2 and providenotches If adjacent the upper and forward ends of the apron if, saidnotches cooperating with said bolster to lock the fender in itsretracted position when it is slid back into the housing I) 1) into thepositions shown in Fig. 10, as will be clearly understood viewing saidfigure.

The operation of my improved fender is as follows: \Vhen not in use, itwill be slid back to the position shown in Fig. 10. Supposing now thatthe car is to be put in service, the attendant depresses the projectingend of the apron 11 so as to disengage its notch I) from the bolster b,and simultaneouslydraws forward the fender, the latter sliding freelyover the antifriction-rolls N which constitute a track therefor, thefender being stopped at its proper forward position by the stops b,which engage the ledges b at the rear end of the housings. The springs bcause the apron If to press forcibly against the dashboard of the earand serve to maintain the fender in proper projected position, as shownin Fig. 2. This feature of my invention is of considerable importance,inasmuch as while it maintains the fender in proper working position thelatter is at all times free to yield to a rigid obstruction if oneshould be met with, and this capability thereby permitting the fender tomove backwardly when absolutely necessary, rather than to be smashed inpieces, the fender, however, being held forward with sufficient firmnessand certainty at all times for life-saving purposes.

\Vhenever a motorman sees a person or other object in danger of beingstruck by the car, he simply presses lightly with his foot upon the stepZ1 of the plunger, therebylifting the dog Zfiagainst the action of itsspring 12 so as to disengage it from the notch I) of the trip-lever bwhereupon the springs Z2 of the hangers or shafts I) instantly rotatetwo arms D from beneath the fender, permitting the latter to drop closedown to the track into the position shown in Fig. 3, all ready to catchand save said object or person. At the same time the said falling of theforward end of the fender causes the rear end thereof, as shown in Fig.8, to turn upwardly against the guard Z), thereby holding the fenderfrom accidental rearward movement, which would collapse the fender andinjure the object or person being caught.

Viewing Fig. 4, it will be evident that very little power is required tomove the roller D from beneath the fender-beams, the roller turningreadily and moving on the smooth under surface of the beams.

When it is desired to restore the fenderto its raised position, this isvery quickly done simply by raising the fender from its droppedposition, Fig. 3, to its horizontal position, Fig. 2,whereupon thehand-lever I) is turned into the position in Fig. 9, permitting the dogIf to automatically lock it and retain the arms If" in supportingengagement beneath the fender.

\Vhile I have herein described my invention in its details ofconstruction, I wish it understood that I am not limited to saiddetails, inasmuch as many changes and substitutions may be resorted towithout departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a street-car, of ways rigidly mounted beneaththe car, a fender reciprocable in said ways,said fender having pivotedintermediate its length an apron automatically held turned up againstthe front of the ear,and holding the fender yieldingly forward inprojected position, and springs normally holding said apron forcibly inits upright position, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a street-car, of ways rigidly mounted beneaththe car, a fender reciprocable in said ways, said ways befender andpermitting it to drop when desired, whereby said fender at its rear endin dropping is caused to turn on said bottom ledges and abut againstsaid guards, as and for the purpose described.

3. The combination with a street-car, of ways rigidly mounted beneaththe car, a fenderreciprocable in said ways, said fender having pivotedintermediate its length an apron adapted to be turned up against thefront of the car, and springs normally holding said apron" forcibly inits upright position, said apron having notches in its upper edgeadjacent itsfree end anda device rigidly mounted beneath the'forward endof the car to be engaged by said notches when the fender is in retractedposition as and for the purpose described.

4. The combination with a street-car, of a support for a fender, afender carried by said support, depending posts adjacent the front endof the car, shafts rotatably mounted in said posts, said shafts havinglateral arms at their lower ends provided with antifrictionrollers,springs engaging said posts, and said shafts tending to maintain saidarms normally turned outward, levers projecting from said shafts, atrip-lever mounted beneath the car, connections between said levers andsaid trip-lever whereby the latter operates the former and said shafts,a dog adapted to engage sa'id trip-lever when the latter is in positionto turn said arms inwardly beneath and tosupport said'fender, and meansfor disengaging said dog to permit said springs to turn said arms fromsupporting engagement with the fender, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a street-car, of ways, a fender reciprocabletherein and when in projected position being capable of droppingtherefrom at its forward end, vertical posts'pivotally mounted adjacentthe forward ends of said ways, said posts having lateral arms providedwith'friction-rollers adapted to be turned inwardly beneath the fender,said fender being supported by and freely movable on said rollers,springs normally tending to turn said arms and their shafts away fromeach other out of supporting engagement with said fender, means forholding said arms in said supporting engagement against the action ofsaid springs, and releasing means therefor, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a street-car, of

ways, a fender recipro'cable therein and when to be turnedinwardlybeneath the fender,

said fender being supported by and freely 'movable on said" rollers,springs normally tending to turn said arms and their shafts away fromeach other out of supporting engagement with said fender, means forholding said arms in said supporting engagement against the action ofsaid springs, and releasing means therefor, said fender having an apronpivoted thereto, springs normally holding said apron in uprightposition, notches near the forward end of the apron, and a devicecarried beneath the forward end of the car to be engaged by said notchesand thereby retain the fender'when in retracted position,

substantially as described.

Intestimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE H. SMITH.

Witnesses;

' SAMUEL TEMPLE,

FANNIE L. SMITH.

